1. Onions

You can add onions to nearly any savory recipe, from salads to stews, and they'll likely make it better.

Keep shallots, red onions, and white onions in your pantry so you can mix and match by the type of flavor you want: white and yellow onions will mellow as they cook, shallots are especially good raw with dressings or in salads, and red onions are great additions to sandwiches.

6. Cheese

Keep a few different kinds of cheeses in your fridge for a variety of melting points and flavor combinations. Two of our favorites? Parmesan, which keeps for a long time, and cheddar, which goes with everything.

10. Rice (or your preferred grain)

There are a lot of rice and grain options out there to explore. White rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice — the list goes on and on.

The important thing to know is that rice is cheap, filling, and a good base for a variety of dishes.

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11. Spices and seasonings

REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Okay, this one is kind of a cop-out, but spices are obviously necessary to have in the kitchen. We recommend starting out with cinnamon, cayenne, basil, oregano, and black pepper since these are some of the most-used spices.